In Lieu of You

Keith A Pearson's time-travel adventure, In Lieu of You, centres on a relationship question many have pondered: Where would I be today if I hadn't met that one person?

Hypothetically, we might want to know the answer. In reality, though?

Gary and Clare Kirk are set to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary...except they’re not. Childless, and with so little in common, the couple finally accept there’s no good reason to remain married.

However, Gary’s idea of an amicable divorce settlement differs significantly from Clare’s, and tensions between the couple soon mount. Money, as is often the case, is at the root of their disagreement.

As Gary explores every avenue to evade his wife’s financial demands, he inadvertently finds himself sitting opposite a relationship resolution advisor by the name of Edith Stimp. The mysterious Mrs Stimp then suggests a solution as unorthodox as it is unbelievable—a brief journey back in time to the day Gary first met Clare.

If he accepts the unlikely trip back to 1996, all Gary has to do is prevent his teenage self from meeting his future wife. If they never meet, they never marry, and there won’t be a financially-crippling divorce—what could be simpler?

For better or for worse, Gary Kirk is about to find out.